In Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead repairs are a common problem faced by coastal residents. A waterfront Bulkhead is consistently impacted by water forces, of tidal flux, and seasonal storms. No matter how well engineered eventually all Bulkheads and bulkheads will face erosion and weathering and due to this all Bulkheads will require repairs at some point and may require a constant watchful eye. Bulkheads can be an engineering marvels if constructed correctly. Frequently, though, their construction is less than perfect and after only several years they begin to show signs of stress and will start eroding fine soils and silts under and through cracks in a Bulkhead. This can pose a dangerous threat to structures near or adjacent to the wall after erosion starts. Often, these depressions indicating voids are covered by vegetation and are tough to spot. Bulkheads requiring repair can also be a large threat to nearby structures once the erosion cycle starts. Once this process starts, it is an ongoing and usually losing battle to repair the erosion areas. Cracks and holes permit eroded soil to flow under and through a deteriorating Bulkhead making larger and larger voids requiring new soil placed to retain proper soil compaction to support the structures. Constant rain, surge, tidal movement, weak irrigation and run-off might amount to rapidly compounding and pricey repairs owing to soil erosion or “Voids” beneath soil and behind Bulkheads producing the need for expensive Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead improvements.

Signals that indicate behind Bulkhead soil erosion are the following:
-Drop in soil at the back or near any Bulkhead
- Pooling of waters behind or in close proximity to wall
- Cavities or voids appearing behind walls
- Broad cracks slightly below the Bulkhead cap
- Zero “air flow” to permit h2o to drain through Bulkhead sheet piles
- Horizontal splits in the Bulkhead close to barnacle line

Anchor failure signs – What to consider:
Long term exposure to ocean water where corrosion has ruined the Anchor Rod and
fasteners to a point where excessive weight or loading from behind the wall generates probable
setbacks of the walls demanding pricey Bulkhead re-construction or replacement.

Indicators that signify anchor malfunction for Fort Lauderdale Bulkheads are generally:
- Damage of the Anchor Rod
- Serious movement of the Bulkhead
- Imbalance of Bulkhead pilings and walls

Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead cap failure – things to search for:
Continuous exposure to ocean which has brought about rust in the rebar causing splits to develop. As the metal continues to corrode and expand parts of the cap will break off, thus destroying the cap, resulting in a failure of a the Bulkhead requiring repair.

Indicators which reveal cap malfunction of a Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead are:
-External movement of the Bulkhead
-Imbalance of the Bulkhead
- Horizontal cracks on the face and top of the current Bulkhead cap
- Bits of the cap are lacking or intending to fall off

Sheet pile failure signs – Things to search For:
Loss of berm right in front of the Bulkhead or bulkhead causing the toe of the Bulkhead wall to go outward towards the end. Excess buffering from the rear triggering broad breaks to occur in the Bulkhead sheet piles, exposing the reinforcing rebar to saltwater. Extended exposure to the elements breaks down the sheet piles, which can bring about collapse of the Bulkhead.

Indicators which show cap malfunction of a Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead are:
- Misalignment of the Bulkhead
- Outward movement of the Bulkhead sheet piles (often at barnacle line)
- Horizontal cracking in face of the Bulkhead sheet piles (usually at base of Bulkhead cap or possibly mid-point of walls)

The physics of soil erosion on a Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead:
Bulkheads within Fort Lauderdale are vulnerable to erosion despite the fact that they’re intended to repel invasion of h2o from sea, lakes, streams as well as contain the neighboring soils, while getting constantly assaulted and damaged by climatic conditions, gravity, mounting and falling tides, motorboat wakes, currents, periodic water level modifications, etc. During serious rain incidents, Bulkheads in Fort Lauderdale needs to be capable to “exhale” or “vent” newly introduced h2o in the earth out into the adjoining waterway or canal. If the water is not “exhaled” the resulting intense pressures can break down and destroy Bulkheads in Fort Lauderdale.

Simply because water seeks the route of lowest resistance, it will find any fragile part like a panel joint or crack and at some point crack a wall panel creating a catastrophic wall failure. In a “worse-case scenario”, the water will exit beneath a sheet pile or wall carrying earth with it. This may trigger extremely fragile soils and thus soil erosion comes about at a swiftly increasing pace. Due to weakened soil zones collapses are only a matter of time. We’ve had cases where you can actually see the soil color variance in the water near to the the Bulkhead structure due to soil seeping out. This type of soil erosion isn’t prone to happen if the hydrostatic (water) pressures are reversed in a properly sealed then vented Bulkhead. Reduce further property damage of property by simply putting a stop to Bulkhead erosion. To save a potential fortune in deferred maintenance expenses good maintenance of your Fort Lauderdale Bulkhead is obvious and the sooner you act the better! We can help.